Wichita eagle., 1887-04-15
A BRIGHT FACE.

disgraced. My parents came to Arkansas
while / was very young. Ny father hat
ing the idea Of ever living in @ town, set
tied in the wilderness, where after several
years Of toll he succeeded in opening up
one of the best farms in the state. Being
educated and refined, my parents were
the leaders of our neighborhood society,
and so familiar did our name become that
we We're known far and wide. Just about
the time | attained my 10Th year
my parents were taken i'll Of disease
which WAS at that time spreading over the
country, and in spite OF the best medical
attention that could be procured they
died, both on the same day. AS / was
the only child the property Of course came
into my possession. Well, it Is unneces-
sary to dwell upon this part of my IN
eventful history, so / will-ignoring sew
eral years-proceed to relate a painful
experience.
One day our neighborhood was shocked
by the discovery that Mr.. Mapleson, one
of the most prominent men tn the COM
munity, had been murdered. was par
ticularly shocked, for during the evening
before the murder Mr.. Mapleson and I
had strolled together through the woods;
and, startling to contemplate, he was
found near a certain old house where We
had separated The next day after the
body was found was arrested, charged
with the crime, and after an examination
before a justice of the peace I was re-
manded to Jail to await the action Of the
grand jury. 1t would be m vain to at
tempt description Of my embarrassment
of my Indignation. Not before saw
myself surrounded by iron bars did real
ke my awful situation What stung me
most was that q man named Evans
man whom | well knew and who bore the
reputation of being q gentteman-swOre
that he saw me strike Mr.. Mapleson near
the old house, but supposing that We were
playing with each other, he paid NO At
tention to the affair, but that IN horror he
soon afterward discovered that MaplesOn
had been stabbed. He did not stop at
this-he produced knife which he aud
several other men had seen lying near the
murdered man-a knife bearing the ini
tials of my name.
The grand jury found An Indictment
against me, and / was arrsigned before
the circuit court | sold my farm and
employed able counsel, experienced law
yers, who did -orything they could for
me, but after tedious trial | WAS sen
fenced TO be hanged. A more miserable,
utterly disc0nsolate being never sat in .
cell waiting TO be en- he'd to death.
Preachers came and prayed for me, but
my mind was 80 dtstraught that could
not tx it upon death. One preacher a
venerable old man, particularly impressed
me.
80, Mr.. Debson," said he, ASK the
giver Of all good to forgive your Gins.
Only few more days now and you will
stand at the bar of God Let me beseech
you not TO throw your time away You
have friends in heaven, pray for the g!ori-
GUS privilege of meeting them. Do not
think Of the fortunes of death, but think
OF the sublime life beyond the grave
II am not guilty, Mr.. Gray"
80, young man, do not hold out in such
obstinacy. Do not, beg of you, implore
You do not perish with a falsehood On
your lips
Il tell no faIsehood when | VOW that 1
am innocent
''Mr. Debson, you mead not hope for
executive clemency. You are very young
but the government has refused to do
in your behalf"
What do you want me TO do, Mr.
Grav?"
Acknowledge your crime and pray
GOD FOR pardoIF
Il have committed no crime"
Think OF your perishing soul"
II am innocent
II see, Nj Debson, that it is useless to
talk to YOU"
Eyes, on that subject"
Remember that the day after to-mor-
row you must die"
''All right"
''Good-by. / hope that the Lord may
change your mind"
When the good man had gone I unused
during long time over what he had said,
yet there occurred to ME no thought Of
regret that | had so plainly spoken to
him. There Is a strange resignation that
comes TO a man who is condemned TO die.
Weary nights of contemplation dull his
dread, take off the keen edge of fear. II
Is not philosophy; Il b don't care"
which settles upon him. Twas not afraid
to meet the king of the universe, and
knowing that not 6 shadow Of hope re-
manned ! surrendered myself TO an un-
Just fate
was not hanged; the governor on ~
count of my youthfulness committed my
sentence to Imprisonment for life Even
this was lndescribably awful; still after
thinking it over l concluded that IL was
better than being hanged
l shall never forget how felt when
first put on my suit of stripes The
thought that / was entirely disgraced
took such deep root in my mind that I
doubt that if were at that time any bet
ter morally than the most hardened con-
Wet within the walls. l began to hate
the world, to mock within myself the very
idea of honesty and virtue. On Sundays
we were compelled to listen to long ser
mons delivered by preachers not distin-
guished for eloQuence. l sometimes
thought that, knowing that we could not
leave the chapel, they took peculiar de-
light in lengthening their discourses-
One day Mr.. Gray came ont, but he did
not pay any special attention 30 me.
This stuns me, and as sat on . bench
looking At him won't say that was
listening TO him-I hated the old man.
ought to have been ashamed Of myself.
but had forgotten the meaning of shame.
The uppermost thought in my mind
was the thought to escape. had lost
everything but my desire for freedom.
My chance came. One night while a
number Of us were penned in stock
ade" near coal mine, into whose dark
vaults We were daily driven, heard one
Of the guard say to companion that hs
was so sleepy he could scarcely hold his
eyes open
so am t. the companion replied,
land. to tell you the truth, / wouldn't
be surprised if do some little noddinG
tonight"
Crawling over where several OF my vie